Kat's 9 Lives

I have been going to Country Bistro in Rowland Heights forever. It's the usual lunch place that my family and I frequent. They have a pretty good lunch selection and at a good price... BUT... recently I have been greatly upset by them! They are so stingy! I can overlook the typical rude and bad Asian service but how dare they deprive me of white rice!!! That's unholy for any Asian! lol =9 I ate there and picked up my usual extra lunch to go for the next day. They actually had the audacity to tell us that if you want rice, you'll have to pay extra!!! When you dine-in they give you rice with the lunch specials, which is normal! I guess they are getting more and more stingy these days by skimping on the rice for takeout! WTH! It says on the menu that it comes with it. I can understand that soup or what not are not included for take out, but rice!?!?! Bah-humbug! lol
So the specialty of this restaurant is that they offer nutritious soups for $1 extra with each lunch. My Mom LOVES the soups because it is suppose to be extremely nutritious for the body. Her favorite ones are the ones shown. Sometimes she orders a third one with Bittermelon inside. I don't know how non-Chinese people can order these soups since they are written in Chinese! >=P She usually gets the Spare Rib soup or the Stomach soup as shown. *hard to translate directly*
My favorite dish here is the Intestines with Basil. As many of you have noticed, I love pig intestines! O=9 They usually do a wonderful job in flavoring the dish and the portions are usually not bad. I love the fragrant flavor of the basil leaves mixed in with everything and I could do without the Red Bell Peppers lol. The intestines are usually soft but still retain their chewy texture. It's a great balance of sweet and salty. This dish goes great with rice. Word to the wise, if you love this dish like me do not order them together because the portions get smaller. =*( It's harder to season a huge wok evenly too.
On that particular trip, I decided to try the Fish Fillet with Black Bean Sauce. The black bean flavor was strong and the flavor was not bad. I still prefer the intestines by far. This dish was more salty but can be mellowed out with the white rice. All these dishes are meant to be paired with white rice to accentuate and exemplify the flavor of the dish.
All in all the food here is pretty good and at a good price at lunch but I am still furious about them depriving me of my white rice for take out!!! That is just jacked up!!! lol No worries, I just went home and cooked my own rice that is better... but it is just the principles of the matter! Since then, I am more opposed to eating there for lunch. Hey, I am in RH... I can EASILY find great food at a great price there! =P Although, I do like the intestines here. Darn them! *shakes fist wildly into the air*

Country Bistro
1380 Fullerton Rd Ste 105
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
(626) 839-9889